Filed to story: Mated to the Alpha and His Beta Novel Free >>???
Melina took another delicate sip and gave me a smile that would’ve been more reassuring if I wasn’t so worked up.
“We will keep our ears to the ground, so to speak. This is not only your burden to bear, Lanie. We are all here for you, and not simply because you are Malachi’s bloodline, but because you are our guests. Some of us -“she shot a cool look at my grandfather, then at Xander, “-do understand what it means to provide appropriate hospitality.”
“Fair enough,” Malachi returned, looking totally unconcerned about any condemnation from Melina.
“We need to learn more about Stella. About her…” I paused. What was it? Not a condition. Not a disease.
live The others at the table all nodded.
“And you, Lanie, need to learn how to become more connected with your vampire self. How you choose to your life will be for you to decide, but you cannot make a choice without being informed. We have many here to help guide you!”
“Like an Intro to Your Vamp Side class?” I joked.
‘Yeah, you should see the textbook,” Braden retorted.
I wanted to laugh along with him, but there’d been the way he and my grandfather were sharing those looks. When Braden and I first met, my life had been turning over and over. Xander and Zane had been my mates, but Alice had been the one they wanted.
Whatever possible romance that might’ve been between me and Braden had been created out of all the confusion, and I’d always been grateful that we’d ended with a strong friendship.
Now I wondered if I’d been wrong about him this whole time.
“There are…mentorships,” Melina explained. “Not classes, exactly. But we can pair you with someone who will teach you how to access your hidden skills.
Walk you through them. You’ll be surprised how much you already can control, I suspect. Things you never knew were actually vampire strengths.”
“Anything that will make Lanie stronger and better, Zane said. “I’m all for it.”
“Nothing too dangerous, Mason disagreed.
I sensed a flare between them. Not being at odds, not exactly. More like Mason was exerting some of his Alpha-ness over his Beta.
I sighed. More d ickswinging. I loved my mates, all three of them, with everything I had inside me. But there was no denying that there was a lot of male to deal with.
Fortunately, Zane was an amazing Beta and did not rise to Mason’s poke. He only inclined his head and shot me a secret smile.
Mason seemed appeased.
“Shall we adjourn?” Malachi stood.
“I need a run,” Mason said. “I’m itching for it.”
Xander nodded. “I wouldn’t mind, either. Malachi, would there be a place for us to run freely but Brightsky?”
“Of course. Walk with me, and I’ll tell you where to find it.”
stay inside The three of them left with Zane close behind. Melina and Jacques took their leave, and so did Charlotte.
That left me and Braden alone in the meeting room.
“So,” I said. “How long have you been f ucking my grandfather?”
Braden I’d known this conversation was going to happen, but I wasn’t prepared for the look of betrayal in eyes. I held myself back from pulling her into a hug.
It looked like she might bite me rather than let me do that.
“Were you…when we?” She waggled her finger back and forth between us.
I could tell she was struggling not to sound like she cared at all, but every syllable she spoke sounded strained with effort.
I sighed and cast a surreptitious look around. “I don’t want to talk about that here. Will you come with me someplace more private?”
“I don’t know if I want to do that.”
There’d be no forcing her, so I waited as patiently as I could. She’d have to find out the truth sometime, but I could tell I was going to have to let her be the one to guide this conversation.
“You asked me a question,” I told her quietly. “If you want an answer, I’d prefer we don’t discuss it in the middle of the hallway.”
Several people walking past raised a hand in greeting and gave us curious looks. Lanie’s back stiffened as she returned them.
She turned back to me.
“Fine.”
Relieved, I gestured for her to follow me. I could tell she was looking around us with fascination as I led her through a series of corridors and then down a short, nondescript hallway. When we stepped through a small door at the end into a courtyard, I couldn’t help grinning as she gasped aloud.
“How is this Alaska?” Lanie spun in a slow circle to stare all around her.
Like the main courtyard, this smaller space was open to the sky above. Yet the air was temperate, even warm. Lush greenery and flowers grew all over, and a small fountain tinkled in the center. Comfortable outdoor furniture created conversation spaces, and we settled into chairs opposite each other.
“It’s a spell, right? She frowned. It has to be “It’s a combination of spellwork and tech. We can’t be in the sunlight without something protecting us Her eyes tattowed “All those other times we met in the woods?”
When we go outside, we have to wear something to protect us. Yep I wear mine in this amulet.”
Mine was on a thin steel chain and I pulled it out of my shirt to show her “These spaces are too big for something like this, though the same tech that suelds Brightsky from detection also provides kinst of bahonast you’d have to ask Malachi how it all works.”
Lanie so back. “If it failed right now, would you burst into flames?”
“I’d burn. It would be agonizing. But I probably wouldn’t burst into flames, and I wouldn’t probably die from it, as long as I could get into shelter.” I eyed her. “Do you want to see me burst into flames?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t know how I feel about you now, Braden.” She crossed her arms over her chest, I sighed. “I was not with Malachi when I met you.
Not like this, I mean. He was my commander, and I reported directly to him. But we didn’t get together romantically until after the last time I saw you. I hope that makes you feel better.”
“You kissed me,” she said in a low voice, a little shaky.
“And now you’re with my grandfather. I feel a little squicked, to be honest.”
That stung, even though I knew where she was coming from. “It doesn’t have anything to do with you.”
“You wouldn’t have met me if you didn’t know him!”
I nodded. “And I don’t regret meeting you. Do you wish you hadn’t met me?”
She didn’t answer for a minute. Then she sighed. “No.
And I know you and I were never more than friends.
Friends who kissed, though!”
I laughed. “I liked you. I was interested in you. But, Lanie, you were already mated. And that was even before you met Mason.”
She paused to look me over. “Does he make you happy?”
“I…” Lwasn’t sure how to answer that. “Sometimes.
Yes. Deliriously. Like my life did not begin until the first time he kissed me.”
She blinked rapidly, her expression twisting and then smoothing. After a second, she nodded and gave me a small smile. “I know that feeling.”
“But he’s an Ancient. He lived multiple lifetimes before I was even born. And he’s powerful. We aren’t equals, I admitted quietly.
“Not sure we ever could be.”
“You and I were never meant to be anything other than friends; I know that,” she said.
hope we still can be.”
Lanie grinned. “I need all the friends I can get.”
I opened my arms and stood Bring it in here, buddy!
We were both laughing hard as we hugged Lanie pulled away, shaking her head and glanced behind me.
Her smile widened, and she waved I turned to see Xander’s mother staring at jis.
She did not look happy Gabriela–
“Hello there,” I said carefully, watching as my only son’s mate released herself from another man’s arms.
It might have been better if I’d found her with a stranger, actually, rather than Braden. I might have. convinced myself a stranger posed no threats. But this man was different.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?